1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to patterned-media magnetic recording disks, wherein each data bit is stored in a magnetically isolated data island on the disk, and more particularly to a method for making a master mold to be used for nanoimprinting the patterned-media disks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic recording hard disk drives with patterned magnetic recording media have been proposed to increase data density. In patterned media, the magnetic recording layer on the disk is patterned into small isolated data islands arranged in concentric data tracks. To produce the required magnetic isolation of the patterned data islands, the magnetic moment of spaces between the islands must be destroyed or substantially reduced to render these spaces essentially nonmagnetic. In one type of patterned media, the data islands are elevated regions or pillars that extend above “trenches” and magnetic material covers both the pillars and the trenches, with the magnetic material in the trenches being rendered nonmagnetic, typically by “poisoning” with a material like silicon (Si). Patterned-media disks may be longitudinal magnetic recording disks, wherein the magnetization directions are parallel to or in the plane of the recording layer, or perpendicular magnetic recording disks, wherein the magnetization directions are perpendicular to or out-of-the-plane of the recording layer.
One proposed method for fabricating patterned-media disks is by nanoimprinting with a template or mold, sometimes also called a “stamper”, that has a topographic surface pattern. In this method the magnetic recording disk substrate with a polymer film on its surface is pressed against the mold. The polymer film receives the reverse image of the mold pattern and then becomes a mask for subsequent etching of the disk substrate to form the pillars on the disk. The magnetic layer and other layers needed for the magnetic recording disk are then deposited onto the etched disk substrate and the tops of the pillars to form the patterned-media disk. The mold may be a master mold for directly imprinting the disks. However, the more likely approach is to fabricate a master mold with a pattern of pillars corresponding to the pattern of pillars desired for the disks and to use this master mold to fabricate replica molds. The replica molds will thus have a pattern of holes corresponding to the pattern of pillars on the master mold. The replica molds are then used to directly imprint the disks. Nanoimprinting of patterned media is described by Bandic et al., “Patterned magnetic media: impact of nanoscale patterning on hard disk drives”, Solid State Technology S7+ Suppl. S, SEP 2006; and by Terris et al., “TOPICAL REVIEW: Nanofabricated and self-assembled magnetic structures as data storage media”, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 38 (2005) R199-R222.
In patterned media, there are two opposing requirements relating to the bit-aspect-ratio (BAR) of the pattern or array of discrete data islands arranged in concentric tracks. The BAR is the ratio of track spacing or pitch in the radial or cross-track direction to the island spacing or pitch in the circumferential or along-the-track direction, which is the same as the ratio of linear island density in bits per inch (BPI) in the along-the-track direction to the track density in tracks per inch (TPI) in the cross-track direction. The BAR is also equal to the ratio of the radial dimension of the bit cell to the circumferential dimension of the bit cell, where the data island is located within the bit cell. The bit cell includes not only the magnetic data island but also one-half of the nonmagnetic space between the data island and its immediately adjacent data islands. The data islands have an island aspect ratio (IAR) or radial length to circumferential that is generally close to the BAR. The first requirement is that to minimize the resolution requirement for fabricating the islands, it is preferable that the array of islands have a low BAR (about 1). The second requirement is that to allow for a wider write head pole, which is necessary for achieving a high write field to allow the use of high coercivity media for thermal stability, it is preferable that the array of islands have a higher BAR (about 2 or greater). Also, the transition from disk drives with conventional continuous media to disk drives with patterned media is simplified if the BAR is high because in conventional disk drives the BAR is between about 5 to 10. Other benefits of higher BAR include lower track density, which simplifies the head-positioning servo requirements, and a higher data rate.
The making of the master template or mold is a difficult and challenging process. The use of electron beam (e-beam) lithography using a Gaussian beam rotary-stage e-beam writer is viewed as a possible method to make a master mold capable of nanoimprinting patterned-media disks with a BAR of about 1 with a track pitch (island-to-island spacing in the radial or cross-track direction) of about 35 nm, and an island pitch (island-to-island spacing in the circumferential or along-the-track direction) of about 35 nm. If the data islands have a radial length and circumferential width each of about 20 nm for an IAR of 1, then these dimensions generally limit the areal bit density of patterned-media disks to about 500 Gbit/in2. To achieve patterned-media disks with both an ultra-high areal bit density (around 1 Terabits/in2) and a higher BAR, a track pitch of 50 nm and an island pitch of about 12.5 nm will be required, which would result in a BAR of 4. However, a master mold capable of nanoimprinting patterned-media disks with an island pitch of 12.5 nm is not achievable with the resolution of e-beam lithography.
What is needed is a master mold and a method for making it that can result in patterned-media magnetic recording disks with both the required high areal bit density and higher BAR (about 2 or greater).